The Cost of Victory part 2
Session 36 The party move towards the colosseum along with crowds of goblin-kin. Alistyre breaks into a cold sweat and he points to a familiar masked figure and shouts to the party. Funiku Dorobo stands near the entrance to the arena, followed closely by Yelloweyes. The party look on in astonishment as the Daern enters the arena and Ish'kronn Ast'ronn begins. Thunderous drums shake the very stone beneith them and a wild roar explodes from the crowd who chant "Ish'kronn Ast'ronn" repeatedly. The Daern puts out her hand towards her attendant. Instead of handing her a weapon, the scro cultist shoves a wicked spined dagger into her rib cage. The Daern looks on in surprise and panic, breaking the orcs neck with her bare hands before falling to the sand, crippled by poison. She wearily looks up at the approaching lich and deathknight. Her power to command the Loyalty of others has little effect on them, but forces all her true followers to flee for their lives. The Daern's power urges the party into absolute loyalty and they throw themselves into the fray. The party leap from the stands into the loose sand of the arena. Funiku and the deathknight, Rilken attempt to keep the pary away from the Daern, and even kill Thozmolim and Saargon in the process. The party, exhausted by the recent combat with Rilken alone are unable to overtake the combined might of him and the lich Funiku until Marcelyina unleashes a tremendous amount healing energy into the Darn. The newly healed Daern manages to overtake Rilken and the combined might of the survivors barely hack down the lich's body. The Daern pulls the jagged dagger from her side, dropping it into the sand. All that is heared is silence as the crowd have fled the city. The Daern's scro attendants lay dead. She makes brief eye contact with the party, sneering at Dael and Marcelyina but nods in thanks to Illiaph. She rapidly regains her strength and turns her back to the heavily wounded party, leaving the arena. The party, now alone in the ruined city, heal themselves as best they can, but have a harder time dealing with Thozmolim and Saargon's deaths. Alistyre attempts to reincarnate them and the results are spotty. Saargon is pleased with his new, young copper elf body, but Thozmolim is horrified to be reborn as a half green dragon. Illiaph and Shalazar take time to themselves and send a message to Illiaph's father, Thorben Fellspark. After years of objecting to his father's rule, Illiaph considers accepting the families infernal pact with the devil known as Pholrex. Thorben explains that the pact is possible, but Pholrex demands that Illiaph deliver the location of Marcelyina to Grand Inquisitor Var'izan. Illiaph knows little about infernal politics, but Shalazar explains that all devils obey the will of Ashmedai who is a close ally to Azogun. In the meantime Aistyre notices and flickering comming from his pack. Rilken's unlightable candle seems to have a heatless flame on the wick. This odd flame seems otherwise unremarkable, although it can not be extinguished by any attempted means. Instead of following through with his father's plan, Illiaph begs Marcelyina to contact her deity on his behalf. The commune spell with the dreambringer brings vague images of Grand Inquisitor Var'izan and a subtle voice informing him that a pact requires the blood of the erinyes. Illiaph agrees to the terms as he understands them. The party know where the Grand Inquisitor is, along with Geshran, Halafas and Arundel, in the walled city of New Illden. Alistyre has developed a new spell and informs the party that he may be able to get them near Illden instantly by traveling through the fey realm. His spell opens a small portal through a grouping of trees and speedily transports them to a similar grove near Illden. EXP and Journal.